looking for some ideas on a couple Wilderness areas in CO

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WKR
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
939
just looking for some ideas on trail heads, ideas on the the terrain, water sources etc.
if you do not want to post here feel free to PM me.
plan for the hunt is to be able to park my camper at a trail head and spike out for a few days at a time.
 

sndmn11

WKR
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Mar 28, 2017
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Location
Morrison, Colorado

Park where marked, camp where legal, read the regs and have fun!
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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Tijeras NM
Sounds like you have a plan. Not sure what the question is. The comfort of the camper to get rejuvenated after a couple days after spiking out for a few days is a good plan. Although i wouldnt necessarilyget fixated on trail heads. Many places to park on a forest road and get off the beaten path if you are willing to work and walk. Finding water shouldn't be an issue with all the technology out there. Doing your own homework and getting boots on the ground will only help. The offseason work is what keeps you in the game year round.
 
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Luked

WKR
Joined
Apr 3, 2014
Messages
939
Not looking for people to tell me where to go.
Just looking for ideas and info on the area
Any info I can get will be helpful. With Bing from the Midwest it's not something I can go check out for a weekend as much h as I wish I could.
Would like to know a little on how the terrain is etc.


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Joined
Sep 8, 2014
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1,741
Location
Front Range, Colorado
Not looking for people to tell me where to go.
Just looking for ideas and info on the area
Any info I can get will be helpful. With Bing from the Midwest it's not something I can go check out for a weekend as much h as I wish I could.
Would like to know a little on how the terrain is etc.


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You're looking for exactly what every other podcast groupie is looking for on the internet. And nobody with any info worth a damn is going to give it to you.
The Midwest isn't that far. Drive out and earn what you want. Or sit home and watch football. Either way, CPW will appreciate your $600+ donation next fall.

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sndmn11

WKR
Joined
Mar 28, 2017
Messages
9,306
Location
Morrison, Colorado
Not looking for people to tell me where to go.
Just looking for ideas and info on the area
Any info I can get will be helpful. With Bing from the Midwest it's not something I can go check out for a weekend as much h as I wish I could.
Would like to know a little on how the terrain is etc.


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The link I posted has 40+ Colorado wilderness areas listed. You could invest some time reading about each to see what fits your wants.
 

Jbehredt

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Mar 4, 2017
Messages
1,709
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Colorado
You're looking for exactly what every other podcast groupie is looking for on the internet. And nobody with any info worth a damn is going to give it to you.
The Midwest isn't that far. Drive out and earn what you want. Or sit home and watch football. Either way, CPW will appreciate your $600+ donation next fall.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk

Actually laughed out loud. Almost spit out my diet Dr Pepper.
 

Ucsdryder

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Jan 24, 2015
Messages
5,680
You're looking for exactly what every other podcast groupie is looking for on the internet. And nobody with any info worth a damn is going to give it to you.
The Midwest isn't that far. Drive out and earn what you want. Or sit home and watch football. Either way, CPW will appreciate your $600+ donation next fall.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
Talk about a fun weekend! Pick a couple spots, take that camper for a 5 day weekend and come out and explorer in august! Orrrr….sit on the couch and watch football.
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
688
Location
Gypsum, CO
Any trailhead anyone tells you to go to is most likely not one that they recommend to hunt themselves. Next, CO is already heavily crowded about 60% of new hunters hear the word “wilderness” and think untouched elk country. 90% of the wilderness is going to be classified as extremely rugged, that’s being nice. Ur from the mid west which already means you’re not gonna be as in shape as you should be, regardless what you think.

Many guys look at a map and say “oh look it’s not that bad” they load up a 65lb pack and say I’ll be 10 miles in by dark…. 2 days later they got in 2.5 miles, spent half a day in camp recovering and are packing their gear to get out.

You wanna be successful, or even have a chance it’s boots on the ground. I can tell you 20 trailheads to go to (but they’re not where I would hunt) you can call game wardens (but they told 5,000 other guys the same exact information they told you) you can get the huntdata maps with “migration” zones on them, just like 10,000 other guys thinking well it says elk are here at this time of year.

Spend your winter looking at maps, find a wilderness you want to attempt. Focus on that, have plan A B C D E F G, come out over the summer and physically see what ur getting into cause you won’t understand it on a topo or google earth. Get in shape, then when the season starts you’ll be at plan D before the sun is up opening day, from all the other hunters you find, recreational hikers, trailheads being packed full, etc.
 
Joined
Jun 7, 2018
Messages
716
Location
Tennessee
Throwing a dart on a unit map will be more productive then asking on a forum. Then when the first dart doesn't work, throw another one, repeat until elk are found. Then don't tell anyone where they were on a forum

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Joined
Nov 20, 2021
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Whew... glad you aren't looking for anybody to tell you where to go. What area are you looking for ideas and info on, if you don't want someone to tell you where to go? If you are talking about the area of the state of Colorado in general, throwing a dart would be a generous way to describe trying to find a place.

Guys have worked hard to learn what they know and it's a fact it's overcrowded hunting in colorado. Sure as hell don't need any more competition in the unit I hunt, already more than enough hunters. Colorado is the best deal in the country for any Tom, Dick or Harry to buy an over-the-counter bull tag and come out to hunt. And as such residents do suffer when it comes to the opportunity to get tags to hunt in the state they support and reside in. Federal land argument doesn't matter because there are federal lands in every state and to my knowledge Colorado is least expensive for big game hunting with respect to Western States.

Main thing I would share is come into a conversation having some knowledge of where you'd like to go, what you're capable of doing once you get there, and show you want to be part of the process with at least a minimal amount of research already done with ideas to compare and contrast.


When I moved to Colorado 30 years ago, I read everything I could in hunting magazines, the internet wasn't very prevalent back then, and that was part of the joy of figuring it out. I was familiar with a few areas of the state that might harbor elk and made my play there. I had nothing for success, but through that I created relationships and created bonds that allowed me to increase my knowledge and explore other areas.
 
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chindits

WKR
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
673
Location
Westslope, CO
It seems like your best approach would be what units can I hunt with the points I have. Then look at those units for the kind of terrain you wat to hunt be it a successful hunt or more likely not.

If you don’t have points, so sad too bad, just look for the same in OTC and enjoy the company.
 

Marble

WKR
Joined
May 29, 2019
Messages
3,251
Not looking for people to tell me where to go.
Just looking for ideas and info on the area
Any info I can get will be helpful. With Bing from the Midwest it's not something I can go check out for a weekend as much h as I wish I could.
Would like to know a little on how the terrain is etc.


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My best advice is to make a pretrip. I know you're pretty far away but you would save days, cause less agitation getting stuff settled, you could find camp spots, water etc etc.

I've gone to several different states and hunted without ever stepped foot in the spot. Sometimes successful, sometimes not. It always takes extra time to get your bearings on things.

If you say you can't, will then except the limitations. But if you want it, find a way.

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Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Messages
968
Location
Colorado
6804AD02-EF1E-419E-A647-601DBA38671A.jpgYou're looking for exactly what every other podcast groupie is looking for on the internet. And nobody with any info worth a damn is going to give it to you.
The Midwest isn't that far. Drive out and earn what you want. Or sit home and watch football. Either way, CPW will appreciate your $600+ donation next fall.

Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
 
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Messages
2,599
Location
Tijeras NM
Whew... glad you aren't looking for anybody to tell you where to go. What area are you looking for ideas and info on, if you don't want someone to tell you where to go? If you are talking about the area of the state of Colorado in general, throwing a dart would be a generous way to describe trying to find a place.

Guys have worked hard to learn what they know and it's a fact it's overcrowded hunting in colorado. Sure as hell don't need any more competition in the unit I hunt, already more than enough hunters. Colorado is the best deal in the country for any Tom, Dick or Harry to buy an over-the-counter bull tag and come out to hunt. And as such residents do suffer when it comes to the opportunity to get tags to hunt in the state they support and reside in. Federal land argument doesn't matter because there are federal lands in every state and to my knowledge Colorado is least expensive for big game hunting with respect to Western States.

Main thing I would share is come into a conversation having some knowledge of where you'd like to go, what you're capable of doing once you get there, and show you want to be part of the process with at least a minimal amount of research already done with ideas to compare and contrast.


When I moved to Colorado 30 years ago, I read everything I could in hunting magazines, the internet wasn't very prevalent back then, and that was part of the joy of figuring it out. I was familiar with a few areas of the state that might harbor elk and made my play there. I had nothing for success, but through that I created relationships and created bonds that allowed me to increase my knowledge and explore other areas.
Its only going to get worse as they turn more units to draw units
 
Joined
Nov 20, 2021
Messages
1,449
I'm not sure what you mean by that? Every unit is a draw unit, some take more preference points than others to get a tag. Over the counter bull tags are available for all but first season in most units.
 
Joined
Sep 5, 2012
Messages
688
Location
Gypsum, CO
I'm not sure what you mean by that? Every unit is a draw unit, some take more preference points than others to get a tag. Over the counter bull tags are available for all but first season in most units.

I think he meant the people asking for free help and not wanting to put in the work…. More Guys are gonna just draw tags and then expect others to tell them how to hunt it.


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